Blue Feather
by Eike
Summary: Once you've bought a blue feather, you can show it off to whoever you wish. Gray overinterprets things sometimes. [mild slash]


Based on this little sequence you get in BTN when you show  
the blue feather to Gray ^_^;; It was hilarious. Well, I thought  
it was. Of course, somehow my fic didn't portray that... I can't  
believe I wrote an angst.  
  
  
Blue Feather   
  
by Eike  
  
----  
  
Jack held the blue feather. Lifted it up, examined it, ran a finger  
up and down it... It was beautiful, no doubt about it. He had to   
wonder which bird they took it from. Not that it really mattered.  
  
He didn't know who to give it to. He knew everybody expected   
him to give it to Ann, he had been doting attention on her, and  
her father had dropped more than enough hints...  
  
Maybe he would go ask somebody in the village. They had lived  
there longer, they would have advice. Especially the married  
men, they should be able to help him out.  
  
  
  
The first person he encountered was not, in fact, married.  
Gray was strolling down the street, probably heading off to  
see Mary.  
  
"Gray!" Jack called out. The orange-haired youth stopped to   
greet him.  
  
"Hi Jack. How are you?"  
  
Jack smiled and brought out the blue feather. Before he could  
explain his dilemna, Gray blushed and pulled his cap down   
further.  
  
"Th-that's a blue feather."  
  
Jack wondered what was wrong with Gray. "Yeah, it is."  
  
"I didn't know that you... I mean... I'm a... I prefer... you got it  
all wrong. I'm really not that kind of guy."  
  
Jack blinked. "What are you talking about?"   
  
Gray's blush deepened. "Weren't you... proposing to me?"  
  
Now it was Jack's turn to blush. "No! Why would I do a thing  
like that?" Gray turned away.  
  
"Of course. We're both men. It's silly." Jack thought he detected  
a slightly hurt tone in the other's voice, but he couldn't be   
certain. And why would he be hurt, he should be relieved.  
  
Jack quickly put the feather away and burst out into an  
embarassed laugh. "I was just going to ask who you think  
I should marry. Hehehe. Because, I can't choose. I like all  
of the girls. Heheheheh."  
  
There was a brief silence between them, Gray staring at  
his feet and Jack scratching the back of his head.   
  
They both started talking at once, laughing again.  
  
And again the silence. Jack glanced at his watch -- shouldn't  
Duke be leaving soon? Maybe he'd disrupt this silence, this --  
  
"I like you."  
  
Jack jerked his head up to look at Gray. The other had pulled  
the cap down even further, so he couldn't see his face.   
  
Was this a joke? But Gray never joked -- and besides, this  
didn't seem like something anybody would joke about.   
But if this was the truth... he must have truly gotten Gray's  
hopes up when he showed him that feather.  
  
"Gray?" he reached out to touch the red-head's shoulder.  
Gray jerked away.  
  
"Go ahead, laugh. Just like they did in the city. Laughing at  
the little gay boy. Laughing laughing laughing."   
  
Gray turned and ran from him, past the library and around  
the corner. Jack just stood there, confused.  
  
Gray... liked him? He hadn't even considered.... well, of  
course he hadn't. Gray always seemed to like Mary. Why  
else would he always be hanging around the library, saying  
things like "of course I appreciate Mary" and what-not.  
Gray just didn't seem like that type of person.  
  
But Jack was also aware that he had wounded his friend.  
He sighed and made his way to Ann's INN. He would have   
to talk to Gray.  
  
  
  
Ann smiled as she let him into the INN.   
  
"Hi Jack~ What's up?"  
  
The farmer shook his head. "Not now. Is Gray here?"  
  
Ann looked at him strangely, then nodded. "Yeah. He looked  
upset, so I didn't want to bother him. Did he fight with Mary  
or something?"  
  
Jack ignored her and ran up the stairs to Gray's room. The  
door easily opened - there were no locks equipped on the   
guestrooms, in case of emergencies.  
  
"Go away."  
  
Jack stood in the doorway, looking at the young man. Gray  
had his head buried in his pillow, small sobs muffled by the  
cloth.  
  
"Gray... I..." Jack made his way to the bed and sat down,  
careful not to disturb Gray.  
  
"Gray. Please, talk to me... I really don't know how to fix this.  
I'm completely lost, and... "  
  
Gray slowly sat up and faced him, tears making trails down  
his cheeks.  
  
"It's alright. I forced it on you, I guess. It's just... when you  
showed me that feather... I don't know why I blurt that out."  
  
Jack sat quietly for a moment, then asked, "What about Mary?"  
  
Gray's chuckle turned into a hiccup midway. "She was a   
distraction. I didn't want to seem strange, and there was so  
much pressure from my grandfather... She was nice to me,  
so I thought I could maybe fall in love with her. Heh. But  
then you came along, and you started visiting frequently,  
talking with me, giving me presents... Before I knew it, I  
fell in love with you. I'm sorry." He looked away again, perhaps  
ashamed.  
  
Jack was at a loss. He hadn't thought that life in a remote  
village could get this complicated -- how had this happened?  
Oh yes, a stupid mistake on his part.  
  
"Gray, I can't reciprocate those feelings. But you don't have  
to apologize for feeling that way. I'm not going to judge you  
for it. I also won't tell anybody, I swear. You don't have to  
worry. I..."  
  
Gray gave a sad smile. "Thanks. You're just too nice for your  
own good."   
  
And then he kissed Jack.   
  
Jack was completely stunned. The kiss was brief, lasting only  
a few seconds before Gray pulled away. Nothing passionate,  
just a sweet memory, filed away to the corner of their minds,  
to be looked at later, perhaps when this was long done, and  
all had been settled.  
  
Gray pulled the covers over his head, and Jack slowly left  
the room. He ran as soon as he was out, tripped down the  
stairs. Ann rushed over to him.  
  
"Are you alright?" She helped him up again.  
  
He didn't know why he did it then. An impulse, perhaps. He  
pulled the blue feather from his pocket and presented it to  
the girl. She relatively glowed with excitement.  
  
"Jack... for me? Really?" When he nodded, she leaped at  
him and pulled him into a tight embrace.  
  
"Oh, I love you so much... thank you thank you thank you..."  
  
Jack pulled her into a kiss, perhaps to try and cover up the  
other memory that lingered, perhaps to forget, just for  
a moment, what the other man had felt like...  
  
  
And Gray cried in his room.  
  
  
  
  
-end- 


End file.
